Slot Canyons, Horseshoe Bend, and Glen Canyon Dam

Day 7-9: June 4th-6th Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona

 

We arrived in Page, Arizona on Tuesday the 4th of June, but spent most of that day traveling, setting up camp, relaxing, and driving around the area for some quick sight seeing.  According to our slots canyon guide, the area has seen a huge boom in tourism over the last 2 years.  Things really started to pick up in 2017 and now multiple new hotels are being build to house the demand for lodging.  The Navajo coal fired power plant has been schedule for shutdown and demo, so this new job source couldn’t have come at a better time.  A solar panel farm will replace the coal plant, but until it is finished, the average worker would need to find new employment.

 

I’m a hobby photographer, so this area has been on my bucket list for years.  I’m both happy and saddened to see the area flooded with tourist.  Antelope Canyon is now so full of people all day long, that it spoils the ability to truly enjoy the canyons.  Our guide told us they run several hundred people an hour through the upper canyon and as more tour groups form, it only gets busier.

I’ve did a massive amount of research on the areas we wanted to visit.  Several people suggested a private tour if you could swing the cost.  This is our one in a lifetime vacation, I am a photographer, so this is where I wanted to spend my money.  The most highly rated, yet reasonably priced private tour group was Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours  I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed with the native guide and his knowledge of the canyons and photography.  I didn’t even book the photography package, yet he still helped everyone with taking better cell photos and made some suggestions for me on where to sit, what angle to shoot, and what settings would work best in the light.  He brought his flute and played for us in one of the canyons. It was incredible.  (see video for his song)

We didn’t pick an easy hike.  Mountain Sheep Canyon required some fancy footwork, but boy was it worth it.  Not a single person other than our group on the 1.5 mile canyon hike, taking us up ladders, across pools of water, into tight spaces.  For those interested, we did Mountain Sheep, Owl, Snake, and a short bit of Upper Antelope.  The crowds were crazy in Antelope, so we didn’t’ stay long.  It couldn’t compare to our quiet, special hikes in the other slots.  Owl was very interesting, due to the fact that they have several nesting Great Horned Owl families.  We saw a couple and I was able to get a blurry shot of one.

Overall, if you have the funds then spring for the private or semi private tours.

 

Our guide suggested we arrive at Horseshoe Bend at around 5PM for the best view.  Again, breathtaking and frightening!  I found it far more scary than the Grand Canyon, due to the fact that the sandstone is extremely fragile and areas are frequently known to break off.  We stayed clear of the edge and did not bring Cody.  I wouldn’t want him to fall off, plus the heat would have been a bit much for my boy.  My only regret is not having one more day to rent a boy and tour the river.  It looked incredible from above, I cannot imagine how stunning it must be below.  I think if we came back to this area, we might do a week long house boat tour of the Glen Canyon area.  Really, there is so much to see here, I cannot believe it is just now starting to boom.  For those of you looking for a good Air B-n-B option, I think this would be my pick.  This place is up and coming.  Something to really consider if you are interesting in investment properties.

On the 6th we visited the Glen Canyon Dam and had our National Park Passport book stamped.  The kids learned a bit about hydroelectric plants, how dams are made, and what effects they have on the environment.

Would I stop in Page, AZ again?  Absolutely!  The campground we stayed in was Page Lake Powell Campground.  It was clean, the staff were friendly, and even though there was no fenced dog park  there were plenty of areas to turn Cody loose for a good romp where he wasn’t in anyone’s way.  The laundry was reasonably priced and the pool was inside out of the searing heat.  The kids swam all three days!  We ate at several local restaurants.  I’d recommend Slackers for their tasty burgers and Aliberto’s for the breakfast burritos.